Pennsylvania Avenue

Your Guide

Laid out in Pierre L’Enfant’s 1791 plan for the federal city, Pennsylvania Avenue’s most significant portion is the 1.2-mile diagonal stretch that runs between the White House and the U.S. Capitol. By creating a direct linkage between the two significant structures, the avenue is both a symbolic and physical reminder of the interplay between the legislative and executive branches of government.

Since its conception, the avenue has seen a progressive series of changes along its length which provide an architectural history of the changing landscape of Washington and the nation. The history of the avenue has been marked both by periods of decline and growth which have influenced its design and development. Significant change has also taken place since the creation of the 70-acre Beaux Arts style Federal Triangle complex in the 1930s – an outgrowth of the recommendations proposed by the McMillan Commission in 1902.

In 1961, John F. Kennedy created the President’s Council on Pennsylvania Avenue to address the lackluster state of what many thought of as America’s Main Street. The commission proposed simplifying intersections, building new public spaces, and opening up vistas between the National Archives and National Portrait Gallery. After Kennedy’s assassination Lyndon B. Johnson advanced the work by establishing the President’s Temporary Commission on Pennsylvania Avenue. Further development occurred in the 1980s, led by the Pennsylvania Avenue Development Corporation (PADC). Sidewalks were widened to accommodate a third row of newly planted Willow Oak trees along the northern side, and a unified streetscape was installed that included brown-brick pavers, granite curbing, and street furnishings designed by Sasaki Associates. Additionally, several significant parks and open spaces were added along the route, including Pershing Park, Freedom Plaza, and John Marshall Park. The U.S. Navy Memorial which was also part of the PADC’s work was completed in 1987. Centrally located across from the U.S. National Archives, the design includes curved fountains and a granite map of the world’s oceans. The stretch of Pennsylvania Avenue in front of the White House was temporarily closed to vehicular traffic following the April 1995 Oklahoma City bombing – that decision was made permanent following 9/11.

Today the iconic avenue is still one of the most traversed routes in Washington. Generous sidewalks are shaded by a formal allée of mature willow oaks, dotted with memorial statues and a French-inspired furnishings palette of benches, drinking fountains, and tree grates.

Pennsylvania Avenue

Pennsylvania Avenue is just over 20 miles long, running from Rock Creek Parkway in D.C. on its eastern end to the Patuxent River in Maryland at its western terminus. The 1.2 mile stretch that runs between the White House and the U.S. Capitol building was designated a National Historic Site in 1966, and listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1990.

Image: The Cultural Landscape Foundation

Van Valkenburgh's Post-9/11 Redesign

The three block portion of Pennsylvania Avenue abutting the Treasury Department and the White House was temporarily closed to vehicles following the Oklahoma bombing in 2005 -- and then closed permanently after 9/11. In 2004, Michael Van Valkenburgh and Associates redesigned the space as a pedestrian promenade.

Image: The Cultural Landscape Foundation

The Council on Pennsylvania Avenue

Members of President John F. Kennedy’s Council on Pennsylvania Avenue included Nathaniel Owings, Dan Kiley, Daniel Patrick Moynihan, and Chloethiel Woodard Smith. The commission’s “Report of the President’s Council on Pennsylvania Avenue” was published in 1964. Recommendations from the report were taken into account by the Pennsylvania Avenue Development Corporation (PADC) after its founding in 1972.

Image: The Cultural Landscape Foundation

A Third Row of Trees

One of the recommendations put forth by the President’s Council on Pennsylvania Avenue was the addition of a third row of trees on the north side of the street. 700 willow oak trees were planted by 1984, under the guidance of the PADC.

Image: The Cultural Landscape Foundation

The Inaugural Parade Route

In 1803, President Thomas Jefferson designated Pennsylvania Avenue an official parade route, planting Lombardy poplars along its length. Since Jefferson’s 1805 inaugural parade, nearly every President has ridden down the iconic street on inauguration day.

Image: The Cultural Landscape Foundation

Statues and Monuments

Statues and monuments dot the avenue, and include memorials to war heroes, and other significant figures in American History. This monument, by sculptor Charles Grafly, appears in front of the U.S. District Courthouse. The statue is a memorial to George Gordon Meade a Union General who defeated Robert E. Lee at the Battle of Gettysburg.

Image: The Cultural Landscape Foundation

First Street in Washington with Streetlights

Street furnishings, granite curbing, and square brown brick pavers were specified by Hideo Sasaki and Associates in the 1980s, when they were hired by the PADC. Pedestrian lighting along the Avenue is a combination of Washington Globe lamps (based on the original 1920 design for the city) and modern two-headed lamps, unique to the city, which were put in place by the PADC. In 1817 Pennsylvania Avenue became the first street in Washington to have streetlights, the only one prior to 1849.

Image: The Cultural Landscape Foundation

U.S. Navy Memorial

Construction of the United States Navy Memorial was approved by Congress in 1980. Constructed as part of the improvements proposed by the PADC, the memorial was dedicated on October 13, 1987. Designed by Conklin Rossant Architects, the memorial includes a statue of a lone sailor and commemorative sculptural relief plaques illustrating naval history and life.

Image: The Cultural Landscape Foundation

Street Improvements

During the 1961 inauguration parade for John F. Kennedy, Kennedy noticed that the Avenue had fallen into disrepair. He created the President’s Council on Pennsylvania Avenue to investigate improvements to the street.

Image: The Cultural Landscape Foundation

One Portion Is 30 Feet Wider

The portion of Pennsylvania Avenue that runs between the U.S. Capitol and the White House is 160 feet wide, 30 feet wider than the 19 miles of avenue that extend beyond the Capitol, terminating at the Patuxent River in Marlboro, Maryland. In its early days the Avenue was little more than a dirt road, changing to gravel before eventually being paved with cobblestones and macadam in the 1830s.